Bodily fluids are commonly analyzed for a wide range of substances (referred to herein as “analytes”), both endogenous and exogenous, for various purposes including, for example, the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and conditions, the detection of drug use, and so forth.
In some analyses, it is desired to determine the precise amount (e.g., concentration) of an analyte of interest. In others, it is desired merely to determine whether or not an analyte of interest is present in any detectable amount or is present above a certain threshold amount. For example, bodily fluid analysis is often done in a hospital or clinical setting when there is a risk that the levels of certain analytes may move above a certain level or outside a desired range and adversely affect the health of a patient.
Many currently known systems for analyte monitoring in a hospital or clinical setting, however, suffer from delay in obtaining results, which could potentially jeopardize a patient's health.